21st Century Communicating: the Reality

Do you speak and use words to string together sentences? If you said yes, then you are a communicator. 

You don't have to do communications for a living or be a communications specialist to officially be a communicator. Every human who speaks, uses hand signals or body language gestures is communicating in one way or another.

So why should everyone care about HOW they communicate? 

Because it speaks VOLUMES about who you are. As a leader. As a Manager. As a volunteer. As a significant other in a relationship. As a friend. Really, as a person. Speaking-- the art of not only WHAT you say but HOW you say it defines who you are.

When giving workshops and presentations, I always remind people that communication is THE most important skill we will use as human beings while on earth. If you can't get an idea expressed clearly and concisely to those you are talking too, then how can you get anything done or simply have anyone understand you?

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The Reality of Communicating in the 21st Century

What is hard teaching people of different generations on how to communicate is that each generation has their own style of speaking and "language" and what is acceptable. Speaking in abbreviations, for example, was not common for baby boomers but has become 'the norm' and acceptable for people belonging to Generation Y.

The reality is we are experiencing a time in society where many generations of people are communicating in very different styles and all at the same time. With the introduction of internet and social media, it is simply changing the way our brains are wired. How we understand and process information and then communicate it outward is simply different than previous generations.

More to come on the science of how our brains are actually being rewired and some techniques on how to combat this reality on the new way of communicating.

The 'Old School' Way of Communicating ... Talking!

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It is incredible to see how communication has transformed throughout time, especially within the last  20 years. It is hard to believe that mailing letters and awaiting responses for weeks, if not months, was once considered the 'norm.' People in today's fast-paced society now find it hard to even wait the business etiquette "24 hour" time period for a response. Add on top of that, the introduction of social media, where interactions are instantaneous and people expect responses within a matter of minutes. There certainly are advantages and benefits to having this instant engagement (when you want it of course!) and when it is convenient for both parties involved in the conversation.

What is becoming more apparent though is just how valuable of an asset being able to speak and speak well is becoming. It seems like a novelty to hear someone who articulates, uses proper diction and grammar, and commands an audiences attention while sounding smart, engaging and enthusiastic. 

While technology has its many advantages, everyone can agree it has also made us lazy as a society. It is easy for people to make comments behind a computer screen yet not have the backbone or talent to say what they need to effectively in front of an audience in-person. Technology has made acronyms the 'norm' as we try and squeeze every bit of space we can out of 140-characters. This has led to improper use of the English language.. and really, what is grammar anymore? We now are use to seeing people write and even talk in slang leading for akward interactions face-to-face when we are speaking in business settings.

If there is one thing to learn, its just how rare it is to have the ability to speak well, have presence and effectively communicate both IN-PERSON and ONLINE.

Articulating your ideas and commanding an audience's attention are extremely rare skills that will become even more valuable to have as we become more reliant on technology and farther distanced from in-person interactions. Think of the people whom you've recently had interactions with.. which people left you with a favourable impression that resonated with you? What one skill did they have?

It was most likely the ability to translate their ideas from their head (or from paper, email or online) to create an impression on you face-to-face. And that, is extremely rare to find now a days!

A Word to the Wise for my Fellow Gen-Y's

I didn't mean to make that title rhyme. It just naturally came out that way. Catchy either way :)


I wanted to share the following article with Passionate Voice readers, particularly Gen Y readers, since I think it perfectly encapsulates my entire generation. The Huffington Post article has been shared a lot recently as it has been making its way around my social media networks.

It is an extremely timely article about why people belonging to Gen Y (my generation.. defined as people born between 1980 to 2000) are unhappy. I am fascinated by generational studies especially in how it relates to leadership and how we function as leaders depending on what generation we were born in.

I find it so interesting to think that depending on when you were born and what generation you were born into, helps define who you are or will be as a person. While certainly not every trait of a generation is true for each person, for the most part from what studies have found, the generation you are born into certainly helps to influence the life you will lead.

While most people think Gen Y (or more particularly Millennial's) are self-absorbed; lazy; and want to get ahead without putting in the time and effort-- I personally believe there could be no better time to be a part of the Gen Y generation. Belonging to Gen Y definitely has its advantages when it comes to being able to share your passionate voice. Think back to the 40's/50's where there was no internet; no social media networks; women had a different expectation of their role in the workplace; and there was really no platform or opportunity to share your voice and ideas with the rest of the world.

We are an extremely fortunate group to be able to have technology and the platforms we have today to allow us the reach we have that no other generation before us has had.

This article is a refreshing reminder though that admist the many gadgets; networks; technology; fast-paced chaos; and easily having the world at our fingertips, we must make sure to balance realism and expectations in order to truly enjoy happiness. It was refreshing to read and a welcomed reminder. I particularly liked the 3 key advice points that the author left the reader with: stay wildly ambitious; stop thinking that you're special; and ignore everyone else.

And obviously though the pictures and graphs made the article a super funny read too :) And as a salute to my generation, Gen Y, I thought I'd leave readers with a cute picture that depicts most likely, how other generations see us :) Enjoy!

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